I baked sugar cookies with my siblings on Thursday. It took all afternoon to make the cookies and clean up the mess, but it was worth it. We had a blast decorating the cookies and eating way too much sugar. I used a different recipe this year, I found one on Pinterest earlier this year and have made it several times now. I think it might be better than the other recipe, the new recipe doesn't have to be chilled. We topped the cookies with red, green, and white cream cheese frosting and tons of sprinkles. We did use a lot of sprinkles, more than half the container.

My family has quite a few Nativities. We have several for the kids including VeggieTales, Playmobil, and a cloth one that goes under our tree. There's a wooden one on the mantle in the living room that we have had forever, a creamy colored one on the buffet in the kitchen, and a little one in my brother's room. We have few more that I can't think of at the moment.

SnowAngel

Snow, would you mind sharing your sugar cookie recipe that you used? I've never found one I'm completely happy with.
Sounds like lots of fun. I need to do that with my kids sometime, but Ariel is a bit young still.

Snow, would you mind sharing your sugar cookie recipe that you used? I've never found one I'm completely happy with.
Sounds like lots of fun. I need to do that with my kids sometime, but Ariel is a bit young still.

I meant to put the link in my post, but forgot to. Here it is: http://onesweetappetite.com/2014/02/sug ... ie-recipe/
I used Molina vanilla instead of lemon extract and butter inplace of the shortening. The baking time stayed the same.

SnowAngel

Thank you SnowAngel!

And I don't know how crazy busy I'll be over the next few days, so I wanted to make sure I said Merry Christmas to all of you!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, everyone!

And the angel said, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord."
~Luke 2:10 & 11

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone! Haven't had a chance to post in this thread before now, but I've enjoyed reading it and I wanted to stop by and wish everyone a great holiday!

*plucks a handful of questions from SnowAngel's list, skipping the "favorites" because it takes her forever to settle her mind on what she likes best and she has to head out the door soon*

What do you want for Christmas? Honestly, a piece of cheesecake. I haven't had any in a really long time and I'm determined to get a slice this holiday season. I've also been eyeing a mini stepper and a yogurt maker over on Amazon, so we'll see about those!

Do you celebrate Advent? I never have! I honestly don't know very much about it. I need to do some googling soon.

When do you decorate? Usually later in the month than I would like. It seems like we always get unreasonably busy during the Christmas season!

Gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? Always Christmas Day! I imagine that it might be a bit easier to sleep, though, if you open them on Christmas Eve. As a child, it always took me forever to drift off because I was so excited.

Hope everyone has a lovely day tomorrow! Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas to all!

Merry Christmas everyone! Have a wonderful time with family and friends, and may you always remember to thank our Lord for his precious gifts!

So, Tell Me What You Want For Christmas?
I realized I really don't know what I want. Maybe some games or DVDs?
Do you celebrate Advent?
At Church. We used to do it at home too but that has fallen by he wayside
When do you decorate
The tree goes up the day after Thanksgiving. We do the rest of the stuff as we have time. When we were growing up we would put up one decoration a day.
Favorite songs?
Go Tell it on the mountain, 12 days of Christmas to name a few
Favorite movies?
Does LWW count ? Miracle at Moreaux, Silent Night, Muppet's Christmas Carol to name a few
Favorite tradition?
Advent wreath
Favorite foods or recipes?
Christmas cookies
Gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?
One on Christmas Eve the rest on Chrstmas Day

Merry Christmas to one and all.

Merry Christmas to all Narnians out there. May your ells pie be fresh, and your giant thimbles full of libations of merry cheer.

Merry Christmas everyone we only put up our tree today, but since our Christmas season has only begun we're good

What do you want for Christmas? Nothing really I've never really been a big present person. The Sharpe books by Bernard Cornwell would be nice, but they're impossible to find here, so I'm good with whatever my family will give me

When do you decorate? Usually starting the first of December

When do you open Christmas presents? On Christmas Day

My sisters and I lost the nativity set we usually put in our room, which was very frustrating, but I found this cute little nativity in the store and it was relatively cheap so we have a replacement I'm glad because if we don't have a Manger scene in our room our decoration is considered incomplete

I hope to get pictures of our decorated house soon

I'm taking a very quick break for watching White Christmas to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!!!

SnowAngel

Merry Christmas everyone!

I hope everyone has had a lovely Christmas and has good memories of it. By the looks of it the weather has been a mixed bag overseas, not only here.

So, Tell Me What You Want For Christmas?

What I wanted most I definitely got. That is to say that after last Sunday's 42C heatwave we have had a milder week, and though it is humid and a bit warm, cooking for the last two days has been bearable. Otherwise, no, I didn't get anything else I might have fancied in particular. But, hey, my children did buy me some lovely presents instead, one quite unexpected. And we had a wonderful time, just the same.

Do you celebrate Advent?

Church does celebrate Advent, but, in general, at home, it gets to be a mess of Christmas shopping, HSC results, people going away on holidays or coming back, political bickering over Christmas festivities being held at all, and double, double, toil and trouble. Last year there was a terrorist incident in the heart of Sydney, and this year, whilst hurrying to his parking spot, hubby slipped over and broke his wrist, which took the shine off the event, somewhat. And I've not felt all that well either.

When do you decorate?

Not at all this year, see question above. Besides we planned to go elsewhere for our main Christmas dinner.

Gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

We have long had a practice of opening gifts after we come back home from the Christmas Day early morning service. It has been few and far occasions in the last fifteen years that our entire family have celebrated Christmas together, as at least one family member has often had to work on that day. So although we have a Christmas dinner on the day we have our main one on the day we can all get together as a family, which this year was Boxing Day. (This is 26 December and is traditionally the public holiday given to those who have to work on Christmas Day.) Which is when we all finally opened our presents. The occasion, itself, was a present to all of us and included tickets to the latest Star Wars movie.